The 101st Howard Wood Dakota Relays will take place on May 1-2 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. Top athletes, including the defending champions of the girls 4x100-meter relay, are expected to compete for new records.
Apr. 28—SIOUX FALLS — The Howard Wood Dakota Relays return for their 101st running on Friday and Saturday, May 1-2, at Howard Wood Field.
Last season, 13 new high school-age meet records were established at the Dakota Relays, and this year's field figures to challenge for more top marks as top talents from across the region converge.
Here are some of the top athletes and storylines to keep an eye on this weekend:
* Rapid City Stevens set the new all-time South Dakota girls 4x100-meter relay record at 47.68 seconds in 2025, and all four members of the quartet — Maya Khachikian, Riley Willet, Ava Holzwarth, Ella Bradeen — are back this season. In fact, that quartet has already shaved time off their previous record, lowering the mark to 47.56 seconds on April 16. Notably, those four are also the defending 4x100 champions at the Dakota Relays.
* Stevens' Ava Holzwarth added the girls long jump title at the 2025 Dakota Relays, and this season, she's ranked No. 1 in South Dakota at 19 feet, 10.75 inches, with teammate Ella Bradeen ranked No. 2 at 19 feet, 4 inches. Maya Khachikian owns the state's top time in the 100-meter hurdles this spring.
* Bennett County's O'Neill siblings had a big weekend at last season's Dakota Relays, and there's another sister entering the fold this year. Rush O'Neill cleared 6 feet, 8 inches, to claim the boys high jump title last season, and he was also a 100-meter finalist. This year, the junior is ranked No. 1 in South Dakota in the long jump at 23 feet, 5 inches, plus No. 4 in the high jump and No. 8 in the 100 meters. Reagan O'Neill came in second in the girls 200-meter special event and was a 100-meter finalist. So far this season, the sophomore is ranked No. 4 in the state for the long jump. Peyson O'Neill won the 300-meter hurdles in addition to a second-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles and a fifth-place finish in the high jump. The freshman is No. 2 in the 300 hurdles and No. 4 in the 100 hurdles so far this year. Reagan and Peyson were also part of the winning Class B girls 4x100-meter relay. Jade O'Neill, a seventh-grader, has the No. 6 overall girls long jump in the state this spring.
* Pierre's Charlee Williams-Smith is out to a scorching start to her senior season, as she's currently ranked No. 1 in South Dakota for the girls 100 meters (11.97 seconds) and 400 meters (57.04), plus No. 3 at 200 meters. Owner of the No. 8 all-time 400-meter time in state history, Williams-Smith is also the defending Dakota Relays champion in the event.
* Aberdeen Central's Taryn Hermansen stands as the reigning Dakota Relays champion in girls shot put at 46 feet, 8 inches, a throw that won by nearly 4 1/2 feet last May. Not only is Hermansen the top-ranked thrower in the event in the state, her season-best of 48 feet, 11 inches, puts her at No. 10 nationally.
* Lennox's Bergan Musser owns a top-three mark in the state for three events this season, ranking No. 1 in the 200 meters (24.73), No. 2 at 100 meters and No. 3 in the long jump. At last year's Dakota Relays, she was seventh in the 200-meter special event and was ninth in the 100-meter semifinals, one place out of qualifying for the finals.
The 101st Howard Wood Dakota Relays will be held on May 1-2.
Key athletes include the defending champions of the girls 4x100-meter relay: Maya Khachikian, Riley Willet, Ava Holzwarth, and Ella Bradeen.
Last season, 13 new high school-age meet records were established at the Dakota Relays.
Ava Holzwarth is currently ranked No. 1 in South Dakota for the long jump at 19 feet, 10.75 inches.
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* Zayden Horne, of Bismarck (N.D.) Legacy impressed at last season's Dakota Relays by winning the boys 100-meter dash and running in the winning Class AA 4x100-meter relay. With a season-best of 10.27 seconds at 100 meters, Horne ranks No. 21 nationally and has a 21.24 mark at 200 meters.
Here are some Mitchell-area athletes who have stood out this spring:
* Mitchell's Alexier Padilla ranks top 10 in the state for the boys 100 meters (10.83 seconds, seventh), 200 meters (22.05, fourth) and 400 meters (50.10, fifth) this spring. He finished 10th in the 400 meters at last year's Dakota Relays. In addition, Alexier Padilla is part of the Kernels' No. 2-ranked 4x400-meter relay (3:24.57) along with Carter Lee, Keniel Padilla and Sam Mullenmeister.
* Fellow Kernel Bryer Stach owns the No. 4 discus (163-0) and No. 5 shot put (53-6.5) marks in the state this season.
* Winner's Jaxon Day has the No. 1 discus throw in South Dakota so far this spring at 191 feet, 6 inches. That mark is nearly 28 feet further than the next-closest athlete this season and is tied for sixth all-time in state history. Warrior teammate Legend Benedict is also No. 10 in the state this spring at 155 feet, 7 inches.
* Sanborn Central/Woonsocket's Elizabeth Boschee and Gregory's Dani VanDerWerff slot in at No. 1 and No. 2 on the statewide girls javelin leaderboard with heaves of 140 feet, 9 inches, and 130 feet, 4 inches, respectively.
* Wagner's Ashlyn Koupal, the five-time Class A state meet champion in the girls high jump, was second (on jumps) in the event last season at the Dakota Relays. She's tied for the No. 3 clearance in South Dakota this year at 5 feet, 6 inches.
* Lyman's Brooke Montgomery currently ranks No. 6 across all classes in South Dakota for both the girls 100 meters (12.29 seconds) and 200 meters (25.64).
* Mount Vernon/Plankinton's girls 4x800-meter relay, comprised of Abigail Engelland, Suri Schmidt, Aspen Bosma and Sammi Eide, has the No. 6 overall time across all three classes at 9 minutes, 53.84 seconds.
* Freeman's Rylee Peters claims top-10 times statewide in both girls hurdles distances, ranking No. 7 at 100 meters (15.38 seconds) and No. 9 at 300 meters (46.98).
* Scotland/Menno's Micah Goehring has the No. 7-ranked boys triple jump in the state this spring with a leap of 43 feet, 5.5 inches.